Where We Work
Indonesia
Located on Australia's doorstep, more than half of Indonesia’s population of 235 million people are poor. The poorest areas of Indonesia are the remote eastern islands - poverty in West Timor is rife.
Many Indonesians are subsistence farmers, unable to feed their families and generate an adequate income through farming alone. For those living in rural areas, life is seasonal. Many rural communities are largely cashless societies, where villagers farm and sell produce at small local markets. However, with poor quality soils, harvests are often meager. Rural villages are also home to indigenous communities which have been marginalised by traditional development programs in the past and remain trapped in a cycle of poverty.
In urban areas, people have often moved to town centres in search of work. Without social security, they rely on ingenuity to make or trade goods to support their families. Some will develop businesses and rent basic premises, but most work from their homes or on the side of the street.
We work with two main partners in Indonesia. Our current focus is on our partner in West Timor, Tanaoba Lais Manekat (TLM). Here, high food prices are creating harsh living conditions for local families, in a region where estimates suggest that 95% of people are in rural communities are living in poverty. Housing in West Timor is very basic. With limited access to clean water and high incidences of malarial mosquitoes, residents and their families are susceptible to disease. Children usually attend school for half a day, five days a week; however teaching standards are low and the majority are illiterate.
Read some stories from Indonesia
Our partners in Indonesia